


Starting of the World

by rubylily



Category: Kamisama no Inai Nichiyoubi | Sunday Without God
Genre: Background Het, Family, Gen, Religion, Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-09
Updated: 2015-01-09
Packaged: 2018-03-06 18:55:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,405
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3144923
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rubylily/pseuds/rubylily
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ai and her companions continue to travel the world.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Scar

**0\. Prologue**

Ai started out the window of the van, watching as the world outside rushed past. It had only been a few weeks since the group had left Ostia, and several days since they had left the small town they had spent a few nights. Since then the group had not encountered anyone else, and as the others had told her, human settlements had grown scarcer and scarcer in this era.

In that way, the world almost seemed lonely, and more than ever she was thankful she did not have to journey alone.

She glanced around the interior of the van. Julie, as usual, was driving, and next to her was Scar holding Celica in her sling, and behind them in the back seats were Alice and Dee. More than a few people had called them a strange group, but Ai saw nothing unusual about them. They were friends and companions, and they all cared about each other - that was a family, wasn't it?

A smile came to her lips as she rested her head against the window and stared at the scenery outside. It was almost sunset and thus the group would soon be stopping to rest, as Ai knew that Julie did not like to drive at night. Perhaps she would write Ulla and Kiriko another letter once the group set up camp - the last one she had sent had been right before leaving Ostia - and then mail it at the next thriving town they visited. It was mostly a one-sided correspondence, as Ai couldn't easily receive letters while traveling, but maybe once the group returned to Ostia to spend the winter, she could finally receive a letter from Ulla.

She let out a quiet giggle. Letters from Ulla would definitely keep her warm and happy in the cold of winter.

But as it was still spring, soon to be autumn, she wanted to see as much of the world as possible. It was a lonely, beautiful world, and if it needed help, then she wanted to find a way to save it.

And thus she continued her journey with those she loved.

**1\. Scar**

The world was vast, but not infinite, Scar knew. One could easily travel to the ends of the world, although it would take quite some time. The world was also mostly empty, with humanity slowly dwindling and cities and towns falling into disrepair, and thus the world was a little bit lonely as well.

Scar did not know much about the world herself. She had traveled much of the continent, but only in search of the deceased to bury. She had not realized just how vast and beautiful the world was, or how lonely she had been.

She now traveled many of the same paths as she had walked before, but she was no longer alone.

The six of them had stopped in an abandoned town to rest for the night. They often did so in places like these so that they could search for a house in decent enough condition to sleep in. It wasn't so bad to sleep under the stars, but other times it was much nicer to sleep under a roof, protected from the elements.

As Scar sat in the living room of the house the group had decided to spend the night in, she cradled Celica close to her chest. She had only had this baby for a few months, and yet holding her felt like the most natural thing in the world. Without Celica her arms felt empty, but she knew that Julie loved to hold her as well.

"Celica," Scar cooed as she touched Celica's cheek. Soon Celica would begin to crawl and walk and learn how to talk. Perhaps someday they could settle down in Ostia for good, to give Celica a more stable environment to grow up in. The time they had all spent in the sealed city and living what Julie had called a normal, mundane life had been quite pleasant, but so was simply traveling the world with the others.

If she had not stumbled upon that little village in the valley, if she had not met Ai, she would still be nothing but a mindless gravekeeper.

"So this is where you are, Scar!" came Ai's bright voice as she stepped into the living room.

Scar smiled. "I have been here since we finished dinner. You should be more attentive."

"I am, I am!" Ai said with a fake pout, and she sat next to Scar on the sofa. Her long hair trailed behind her, and even in this dim light it seemed to shine.

"Where is Julie?" Scar asked.

"He went to find gasoline for the van. He said he'd be back soon."

Scar bit her lip. "He went alone? I should've gone with him."

"Don't worry, he'll be fine!" Ai smiled brightly. "He may be, uh, lacking in common sense, but you know how tough he is!"

"Ai, that is rather unfair of you to say."

Ai's face became red, and she was silent.

Scar could not help but chuckle. "What about Dee and Alice?"

"Oh, I just finished helping them clean up. Even if no one has lived here in years, it'd still be rude to leave a mess."

"Yes, that is true. We should think of ourselves as guests."

Ai glanced around. "I wonder what kind of people used to live here. It's a big house, definitely bigger than Alice's!"

"Perhaps you can find a photo album to give you some clues."

"Actually, I already searched and didn't find anything." Ai leaned her head back as she let out a heavy sigh. "I didn't even find any letters or a single note!"

"Well then, we could conclude that the person or people who lived here were very private."

"But that's no fun!" Ai exclaimed, and she sighed again. "I wonder if they're even still alive. Maybe they died and went to Ortus, deciding to leave behind any memories of their previous life."

Scar's arms tightened around Celica, who only stirred slightly. "That is possible if they wanted to make a clean break from their living selves."

Another smile came upon Ai's lips. "But wherever they are now, I'm glad they were able to leave their home for travelers like us. It was really nice of them."

"That may not have been their intent. It's also possible they simply decided to leave this town once the other residents began leaving."

"Yeah, it would really be lonely to stay in a big town all by yourself." Ai let out a weak laugh. "I think I would go mad!"

"It is not so bad to be alone sometimes," Scar mused. "But the world does look different when you travel with others."

"Were you alone before you met me and Julie?"

"Yes. Gravekeepers do not normally travel with others."

A stretched her legs, and her large green eyes held an odd shine. "I wouldn't want to travel alone. Without you and Julie, I don't know how far I could've gone. I might not have been able to meet Ulla and Kiriko, or Alice and Dee, or Tanya and the others. And if you hadn't come with me and Julie, you wouldn't have met Celica!"

"You are right. I can't imagine my life without this child anymore."

As if responding to her name, Celica opened her eyes and held out her arms, trying to reach for Ai.

Ai giggled. "Aw, she's so cute!"

Scar smiled. "Would you like to hold her?"

"Yes!" Ai exclaimed, her eyes wide in excitement.

Scar took Celica from her sling and handed her to Ai, and Ai gently cradled her. Celica giggled and reached for Ai's face, grabbing a strand of golden hair with her tiny fingers.

"Hee, that tickles!" Ai said, her smile wide.

Scar simply watched as Ai cuddled Celica. Two impossible children in this world without God, and both of their existences were extraordinary. They both stood out in this childless world - Celica especially - and sometimes it was difficult to find a town safe to stay in. What if someone dangerously desperate for a child tried to kidnap or hurt Ai or Celica? What if someone found their existences to be dangerous and unnatural? Scar and Julie had shared these fears with each other, and they had resolved to do whatever they could to protect Ai and Celica.

Almost without thinking, Scar laid her hand on Ai's head, feeling her soft hair. "I am glad to share this journey with you, Ai," she said. "It is much preferred to traveling alone."

"I don't think human beings or gravekeepers are meant to be alone," Ai said as she caressed Celica's cheek with her index finger. "My mother was a gravekeeper, and she didn't like to be alone. She loved my father, and she loved me and the other villagers. She wanted to create a heaven where they wouldn't be alone anymore."

"Your mother was a unique gravekeeper - the first. Of course she would be different from other gravekeepers."

"Well, just because you were born as part of a family of, uh, identical siblings doesn't make you any less unique!" Ai beamed. "I mean, Celica called out to you specifically! That makes you really unique!"

Scar touched the blemish over her eyebrow, the small mark that set her apart from her identical "family." She could barely remember a time in her life she had not had this scar. "I wonder how many of them are still alive. We are so easily replaced."

"Don't say something like that!" Ai frowned. "You're not replaceable, and Celica would agree with me! Right, Celica?"

Celica only giggled in response.

That bright smile returned to Ai's lips. "See, Celica thinks you're irreplaceable too!"

Scar touched Celica's hair. "Were you waiting for a lonely gravekeeper to somehow enter Ortus so you could give her a new reason to exist?" She leaned in close to Celica. "It's only because of a certain odd, stubborn gravekeeper I was able to find you, and I'm very grateful to her."

"Scar, are you teasing me?"

"Of course not," Scar said as she straightened her back and met Ai's gaze. "I am only telling Celica why I am so grateful to you."

"Yeah, but did you have to call me odd and stubborn…?"

"Perhaps I should have said 'unique,' but it was your stubbornness to enter Ortus that made Julie relent and agree to your unusual demand."

Ai glanced down at Celica in her arms. "Did you hear that, Celica? Scar has started teasing me too, just like Dee does! I hope Dee doesn't overhear her…"

Scar touched Ai's shoulder. "It was partly because you were such a unique gravekeeper I was drawn to you. If I had not met you, I would never have thought it possible for a gravekeeper like myself to do anything but seek out deceased to bury."

"At least you never doubted I was a gravekeeper," Ai muttered.

"In addition to being able to sense the dead, we are also able to sense fellow gravekeepers."

A pained expression came upon Ai's face. "But I can't do that…"

"As long as I am with you, you do not need to be able to."

Ai laughed, a sincere, hearty laugh. "You're right. Even if I can't do that, I have my shovel and I can properly bury the dead, so I'm still a real gravekeeper!"

"Yes, that is very true."

Ai's smile grew softer. "When I started this journey, I thought saving the world meant granting peaceful rest to the dead, and if I came across a deceased who wanted to rest, I would bury them, but I realized something in Ortus - not all deceased want to be buried, and many are happy the way they are."

Scar's fingers tensed. "It can be dangerous to bury a deceased who does not wish to finally rest."

"I know." Ai let out a faint laugh. "Right now I just want to see how the world is doing. Does the world need saving? Are the living and deceased content? Are there more people out there I can help?"

"That is a rather mature viewpoint to take, Ai."

"You make that sound like I'm not usually mature."

"This is your journey, and wherever you want to go, whatever answers you seek, we will follow you."

Ai smiled once again. "Thank you, Scar!"

Celica yanked on the strand of Ai's hair she still held, as if she did not wish to be forgotten, and while Ai tried to suppress her cry of pain, Scar only chuckled quietly.

"Ow… I'm not ignoring you, Celica!" Ai said, trying to cradle Celica to calm her. "If you keep pulling my hair like that, I'm going to tell your sister…!"

"She only wants your attention, Ai."

"Yes, well, she's really strong for a baby! What's gotten into her?"

"Perhaps she misses Julie." Scar carefully pried Celica's small fingers from Ai's hair. "He has been gone a while."

"He'll be back soon, so you and Celica don't need to worry!"

"I'm back now, actually," came a familiar rough voice.

Scar and Ai looked up, and they saw Julie standing in the doorway of the living room. Scar got to her feet and walked up to him, and he touched her shoulders and pulled her close for a small embrace. She had grown fond of these kinds of simple displays of affection.

"Sorry for worrying you," Julie said. "Guess I forgot to tell you where I was going."

Scar touched Julie's hand on her shoulder. "It's all right. Ai told me you would be fine, and I trust her."

Ai came up next to Scar, holding Celica close to her chest. "See, I told you there was nothing to worry about!"

"Aw, don't you all look like a happy family," said a certain whimsical voice. However, it was less unexpected, as Scar had noticed that Dee stood behind Julie in the doorway, and there was a mischievous smile on her lips.

Yet Ai still seemed startled. "Dee! How long have you been there?"

Dee giggled. "Since I heard Julie come in, of course. Did you think I was gone too?"

"Dee, don't tease Ai," Julie said, and he reached toward Ai to take Celica from her, and Celica only giggled as she tried to touch his face. "It's gotten late, so we should sleep now."

"Alice and I have already gotten the bedrooms ready!" Dee's smile softened. "Whoever this house belonged to really was generous."

"Maybe they wanted travelers to stop by and be comfortable," Ai said quietly.

"Maybe," Julie said, and as he glanced down at Celica in his arms, he added, "It's fortunate for us, at least."

He and Dee left the living room first, and as Ai followed them, Scar reached out to lightly touch her golden hair.

Ai froze, and surprise was clear on her face. "Scar?" she said.

"I was simply curious as to why Celica was so fascinated by your hair," Scar replied with a faint smile. "I believe I can understand now."

A deep blush came upon Ai's cheeks, but she still managed a smile. "I'll take that as a compliment!"

Scar pulled her hand back. "Well then, let's prepare for bed. I would like to see how Dee has set up the bedroom we'll be using."

"I'm just thankful we found a good house to stay in. I like sleeping under the stars sometimes, but nothing beats a nice, warm bed!"

"Especially when you can share that bed with Dee, hm?"

Ai's blush deepened. "W-Well, it's nice finally being able to hug a girl my own age! And I'm really thankful she's been happier since we left Ostia…"

Scar laid her hand on Ai's shoulder. "You have helped in some way everyone you have met so far, and for that we are all grateful to you."

Ai's smile grew brighter. "That's part of saving the world, after all!"

"So then, when we wake up in the morning, you can decide where to travel to next."

Ai nodded, and together she and Scar left the living room to head toward the bedrooms. Scar had already seen much of the world, but when she was with Ai and the others, the world truly was so much more beautiful.


	2. Alice Color

**2\. Alice Color**

For Alice, sometimes it did feel strange to be truly alive again.

The group had stopped to rest for a while, and near the road was a solitary cemetery. It was a strange place for one, as there was nothing else as far as the eye could see, but perhaps people had lived near here once, long ago.

As humanity declined, the gaps between their hearts only became wider.

Alice wondered the cemetery alone, glancing at each and every tombstone. He did not recognize any of the names, but he did notice that each person buried here had died before that fateful day God had supposedly abandoned the world.

Unlike him, none of them had needed to be buried by a gravekeeper.

He had visited his own grave many times, and he could probably have dug up his own body if he had any such twisted desire to do so. However, even while his body had been buried, he had still traveled the world, shackled to an incomplete existence by a misguided wish.

And yet another wish had set him free, granting him a real second chance at life.

He let out a heavy sigh. Ai had been the last observer in that false world, so it had only been natural for her to have absolute control over that particular reality. Anyone could manipulate reality as they saw fit - that was the curse humanity had been granted fifteen years ago.

But he was truly alive now. He could age and die like any mortal human being. Ai had finally granted him and Class 3-4 freedom, and he was alive to enjoy it.

She had saved him, and she still desired to travel the world she wanted to save. Dee had also wanted to continue traveling with her, saying she wanted to see the same world as Ai did, and Alice had seen no reason not to join them.

He came to the edge of the cemetery, where a large gravestone stood, and upon it was a stone angel, and one of its wings had crumbled away. Wild flowers also surrounded the grave; some were beginning to bloom while others had wilted to almost nothing.

He touched the cold stone, running his fingers over the deceased's name. In all his travels he had never found his family again, nor any students outside of Class 3-4. If he had encountered anyone from that lost time, how would they have reacted, believing as they did that he was dead and buried? He had not aged or matured in those fourteen years, and with each reset the truth had drifted further away from him. He had been more of a ghost, a specter of the past, than Dee had been.

After so long, he had finally managed to free Class 3-4, but he had not imagined that Ai would find a way to save him as well. He had believed that only his sacrifice would save Class 3-4, so he had not thought about what he would do afterwards.

Thus he still traveled with Ai, Dee, and the others, hoping to find an answer to that question.

"That's quite an unusual statue," Scar said as she came beside Alice.

Alice tried to keep his expression calm, and he noticed that Scar wasn't carrying Celica. "Yeah, it is."

"I still do not understand what human beings mean by angels. Do they represent the deceased in Heaven?"

"Sometimes. Other times they're meant to be messengers of God. One supposedly announced the birth of a savior."

"Savior, hm?" A faint smile came upon Scar's lips. "Where is that savior now?"

Alice shrugged his shoulders. "Who knows? Probably wherever God is now."

"I have heard that this savior is supposed to appear at the end of the world and to lead all souls to Heaven."

"Isn't that gravekeepers do? What happens to souls after you bury someone?"

"They find true rest." Scar's smile faded slightly. "Some call us saviors, but others call us murderers. Gravekeepers exist to help the deceased find rest and the living to lead wonderful lives - that is why we were put on this Earth."

"But you're different."

"I did not wish to spend the rest of my life as a mindless gravekeeper."

Alice was silent; he had seen that wish come true with his own eyes in Story Circle, a place born from wishes. "Gravekeepers were born because some people still wished for death," he said, turning his face away from Scar's.

"That is what many humans have said." Scar's voice was oddly calm, even for her. "However, does that really matter any longer? Gravekeepers exist, and will continue to do so as long as human beings exist."

"But what will happen once all human beings are dead and buried?"

"Then I suppose no more gravekeepers would be born. The world will truly be at a standstill."

Alice looked up at the twilight sky. "A world with no observers… I wonder what that would be like…"

"There is no way of knowing that," Scar said as she took a step closer to the angelic statue. "A world with no one to see it would be much like the world we left behind on the other side of the black surface."

"That world is gone now." Alice sighed. "It was a false world that could only exist when there were people to observe it."

"It was not an unpleasant world," Scar said quietly.

Alice didn't reply immediately. The sealed city had been peaceful, he had to admit, with no pain or death, and he realized that many people he had brought into the seal had been quite content, and now they had to readjust to the true flow of time. But to live in a closed space, never aging and always repeating the same year for eternity - that could not be called living. "Would you like to return to Ostia?" he asked Scar. "The people are trying to restore it to what it was like fourteen years ago."

Scar's smile grew softer. "I would like to see more of the world Ai sees first. However, we could spend the coming winter in Ostia. I imagine Julie would think it dangerous to travel in cold weather, especially for Celica."

"It really isn't pleasant to travel in winter," Alice whispered. After he had nearly froze to death once, he had taken to waiting out most winters in the sealed city, and Dee had once told him that he had been fortunate to still be able to feel warmth and cold.

"The cold does not bother me, but it had been rather nice to stay warm with the others in Ostia," Scar added. "It was the first time I had thought of snow as beautiful."

Alice let out a light chuckle. "That makes you sound human."

"Do you think me different from other gravekeepers?"

"I've never met a gravekeeper as unique as you or Ai."

"You honor me with your words, and I believe Ai would be happy to hear that as well."

Alice's face grew warm, although he could not understand why. "I was just stating a fact," he muttered.

"Then allow me to state a fact as well," Scar replied. "Ai is quite happy that you and Dee have joined us on our travels."

Alice sighed again; was Scar trying to tease him? "Dee says she wants to see the same world as Ai does, the same as you."

"And what of you, Alice?"

Alice hesitated for a moment. "To see the world too, I guess."

"You see the world as a human being." Scar's voice had grown firm. "I want to see the world through human eyes as well."

"Do gravekeepers observe the word differently?"

"Yes. We only see death, and it was Ai and Julie who taught me that the world can be beautiful."

"But this world - the one that both human beings and gravekeepers can see - is dying."

"Julie told me once that even before that fateful day, the world was already dying." Yet Scar still smiled as she spoke those words. "But even at this twilight, there is still beauty to be found."

Alice bit his lip; both he and Dee remembered what the world had been like before that day, but they had still been too young and ignorant to see the decay. "Maybe that's why humanity began to wish for eternity," he said finally.

"Eternity is like Heaven, isn't it?" Scar gazed upon the single wing of the stone angel. "But I still do not understand what human beings mean by eternity."

"Human beings don't understand eternity either." Alice stepped away from the statue and picked up a small rock. He threw it at the statue, aiming for the very tip of the raised wing, a nearly impossible shot. However, the rock still hit its target.

There were infinite possibilities in this world, but he always had the same outcome. All other possibilities were denied to him.

Scar turned away from the statue. "Let us return to the others," she said to Alice. "It is growing late."

Alice simply nodded, and he followed Scar out of the cemetery.

A stone fence surrounded the cemetery, and just as Alice and Scar were leaving it, Ai was also approaching the entrance. "Alice, Scar!" she exclaimed. "I was looking for you two!"

"We were not gone that long," Scar said. "We were simply observing this relic of the past."

Ai blinked in surprise. "Huh?"

Alice could not help but smile. "She means that everyone buried here died over fifteen years ago."

"Oh, you mean before the gravekeepers!" Ai blushed, yet still laughed. "You should've said that in the first place!"

"Does that surprise you?" Alice asked.

Ai put her hands on her hips and grinned. "Of course not! I know that's how the world was before we gravekeepers were needed!"

Scar smiled faintly. "Yes, of course," she said.

Alice was silent as she followed Scar and Ai to the van. Unlike him, Scar and Ai only knew this world without true death, but he and Dee spent so long repeating a single year and their memories had grown unreliable, so among the group only Julie really remembered the world of fifteen years ago, and Alice knew that he did not like to dwell on the past.

After the group ate dinner and night had fallen, Alice sat alone outside the van. Scar, Celica, Ai, and Dee shared a tent, as it was more spacious for all of them, while he and Julie usually slept in the van, and the discomfort did not bother him much. After all, he had spent much time traveling and sleeping under the stars, so he was used to discomfort.

He stared at the stars high above. They had not seemed to change at all since that day fifteen years ago, and they would probably continue to exist long after humanity came to an end. But even stars were mortal, and he wondered what the world would be like once the final star had died.

What kind of world would exist with no observers?

"Alice, aren't you cold?" Dee asked, walking up to Alice.

He shook his head. "I just needed some fresh air. I'll head to sleep in a few minutes."

Dee giggled as she sat beside Alice. "It's not comfortable sleeping in such a cramped van, is it?"

"It's fine," Alice said, and he smiled as well. Dee smiled far more often now, and he had not realized how much he had missed traveling with her. They were finally free, and the world seemed far more infinite.

It was all thanks to Ai's wish to save him.

Dee leaned in closer to Alice. "So what do you think?" she asked in quiet voice.

"It's nice," Alice said as he leaned his head back to stare at the stars. "I feel like I've finally woken up."

"Because Ai found a way to free you and us without you have to sacrifice yourself, right?"

Alice was silent for a moment. "That world was always trying to hide the truth from us."

"We didn't want to remember. Every time we found the truth while outside, we began to forget once we entered the seal again." Dee let out a faint laugh. "But I'm glad Ai was with us when you finally realized the truth. She promised she'd be with me when you learned everything, even if it was in a way she didn't quite imagine."

Alice closed his eyes and inhaled a deep breath, tasting the crisp night air. "It really was Ai who saved that world."

"Do you still think wishes shouldn't come true?"

Alice didn't answer right away. "Ai is still looking toward the future. Saving us was just one step in her quest to save the world. Her wish hasn't been granted yet, so she can still move forward."

"Yeah, you're right. She'll just keep helping everyone she meets, whether they realize it or not."

"That's just how she is." Alice stood up and offered a hand to Dee. "You should sleep now too. You can't stay awake all night outside anymore."

A blush came upon Dee's cheeks. "I know that," she muttered as she accepted Alice's outstretched hand, and he helped her to her feet.

As they walked back to the van and tent, Alice stole one last glance at the stars. He did want to see what the world would be like once Ai found a way to save it.


	3. Dee Ensy Stratmitos

**3\. Dee Ensy Stratmitos**

Sometimes Dee did miss being a ghost, but only in small, insignificant ways, like having been able to sit on top of the van while it was moving.

She rested her chin on her hand as she stared out the window. She was in the back seats with Alice, who sat opposite of her, and Scar sat in the middle seats with Celica in her sling, and Ai sat in the passenger seat beside Julie, who was driving.

It hadn't been long since they had left Ostia, but they had only stopped at a handful of towns since then. Most days it was just the six of them, alone in the world.

Not that Dee really minded. She was traveling with Alice again, and with Ai and the van, they covered more ground more quickly, and it was almost freeing to travel with no set goal in mind. When she had been a ghost, she had traveled to the ends of the continent, but she had always returned to the sealed city. Now she longed to see the world for real.

Outside the window she saw nothing but grass and trees. This road almost looked familiar, but she couldn't be certain. "Alice, have we been here before?" she asked.

Alice barely stirred, as if he was half-asleep. "I don't think so. We never really came this far south."

"Huh, really? I wonder why not?"

Alice shrugged his shoulders. "We just never thought to, I suppose."

Dee could not help but smile, knowing that there were still places she had yet to see, and with Ai even places she had been to seemed different now, and ever since Ai had invited her and Alice to travel with her, Dee had finally felt excited to see the world again.

Someday she did want to return to Ostia, if only to see it restored to its former glory, but until winter she wanted to continue traveling with Ai and the others.

"There is a town somewhere around here," Julie said. "I don't know if it's abandoned or not, but either way we'll be able to spend a few days there and figure out where to go next."

"But what if we keep going south?" Ai asked.

"Then we'll come to a great sea on the southern border of the continent," came Scar's voice.

Dee giggled. "That doesn't sound so bad. It's been a while I last saw the sea."

"I've never seen the sea before!" Ai's voice was bright. "It's supposed to be really big, right?"

"It'll still be a few more days before we reach it, though," Julie added.

"Really? But that's not too long, I guess…"

"But it'll be worth it." Dee laughed. "It really is beautiful."

A slight smirk came upon Alice's lips. "Maybe we should see the ocean next, although it's all the way to the west."

"Ocean?" Ai exclaimed. "That's even bigger, isn't it?"

"Yes, but it all looks the same," Julie muttered.

Dee could not help but let out another giggle, even as she tried to hold it back. She had never met anyone as sheltered as Ai, but it could be quite endearing at times, and her childish curiosity was almost infectious.

By late afternoon the group had stopped to rest, and Ai was quite delighted to see a small lake nearby. She had taken off her shoes and had waded ankle-deep into the water.

"Ah, the water's so cool!" Ai said, her smile wide.

"You look like you're having fun," Dee called out, and she stood near the bank of the lake.

"You should join me! The water is really nice, I promise!"

Dee stared at the water. She could actually feel such water now, unlike when the group had stopped at that hot spring. This water wouldn't be as nice, she knew, but now that she had a physical body in the outside world again, she could finally enjoy these kinds of things once more. "All right," she said as she removed her shoes and stockings.

As she dipped her toes into the water, she almost recoiled from how cold it was, but she held fast; she had to look cool in front of Ai, after all. Once both her feet were submerged in the water, the coolness felt nice against her skin, and she waded out to Ai, feeling soft sand beneath her feet.

Ai beamed as Dee drew closer to her. "What do you think, Dee? Feels nice, doesn't it?"

"Yeah, a little bit," Dee said, wiggling her toes in the sand. "But I think a hot spring would feel even nicer."

"Oh, you're right!" Ai's green eyes were bright like stars. "We should go back to that one we found! Now that you have a physical body, you can enjoy it too!"

"Hm." Dee taped her chin thoughtfully. "That does sound nice." She did want to properly experience a hot spring, and she doubted Julie would object to driving there, given how much he had enjoyed it himself. She had overheard his conversation with Alice - one such advantage of being a ghost - although she had not actually peeped on them.

"We can go after we've seen the sea," Ai said. "It wasn't far from Ostia."

"Right, the sea." Dee giggled; there was actually a small sea near Ostia, as it had once been a port town in a time long forgotten, but she decided not to mention that to Ai. After all, the sea they headed to now was much grander, and Dee had never seen this one either.

"Yep, the sea!" Ai repeated with a nod. "The world is mostly water, isn't it? So it's strange I've never seen the sea or ocean."

"The world is also big and we're quite tiny in comparison." Dee smirked. "And besides, we have water right here." Thus she bent over and splashed some water toward Ai.

"Ah, no fair!" Ai squealed. "I'll get you for that!" A mischievous smile came upon her lips, and she threw more water at Dee.

Dee could only laugh as she retaliated. Sometimes she forgot how young Ai really was, and it was rather cute to see her acting so childish. (Of course, as Dee had been the one to start this water fight, she had no room to talk.) Ai's own laughter was bright and cheerful, and the water they splashed at each other was pleasantly cool. Dee was thankful she could feel something like this again.

And she was also thankful Ai and Alice had forgiven her for deceiving them. It truly was nice to be with them like this.

"What are you two doing?" came Alice's voice, and as Dee turned her head, she saw him approaching the edge of the lake.

Ai laughed. "Just playing! Want to join us?"

Alice sighed. "You're going to catch a cold if you stay in that water any longer."

"Oh, I don't think Ai has to worry about that," Dee said, trying to suppress a smirk.

"Hm?" Ai blinked in surprise. "What do you mean by that? I mean, I haven't gotten sick in a long time, and gravekeepers usually don't…"

Alice said nothing. He simply turned his face away, as if trying to hold back laughter of his own.

Dee gently gripped Ai's hand. "But Alice is right - we don't want to be stuck in wet clothes once the sun sets."

Ai nodded. "Yeah, you're right about that."

Dee, Ai, and Alice headed back to the van, and the girls grabbed some dry clothes from their travel bags and got changed on the other side of the van, away from the eyes of the rest of the group. Once they were dressed, the joined the others for supper.

When Dee had been traveling with Alice, she had never needed to eat, and had often felt envious watching Alice eat. In the early years of their travels, Alice had not known much about cooking, and he had often gone hungry. Dee, being skilled at cooking, had taught him everything she knew, usually watching over his shoulder to make sure he had been doing everything correctly. However, neither of them had really known much about wilderness survival, and many times Alice had to figure out what was safe to eat through trial-and-error.

However, the seal over Ostia had granted him some kind of immortality, so when he had guessed wrong or starved to death, he would wake up within the seal alive and well. Yet, as Alice had once told her, not even death could sure stupidity, and he had kept stubbornly pressing forward.

Now Dee could enjoy eating with Alice while traveling, and both she and Julie knew enough about cooking so that no one had to go hungry.

Supper ran late, and by the time the sky was completely dark, Ai had fallen asleep, her head in Dee's lap, and Dee played with Ai's soft, golden hair. Julie and Scar were still setting up the tent, but Dee didn't mind if they took their time.

"Ai really was tired, huh?" Alice said as he sat beside Dee.

"All that excitement about wanting to visit the sea must've tired her out, the poor thing." Dee laughed, threading her fingers through Ai's hair.

"If I knew she wanted to see the sea that badly, we could've taken her to the one near Ostia."

"But the anticipation is half the fun! And besides, we've never been this far south either, so this should be exciting for us too."

A faint smile came upon Alice's lips. "Yeah, I suppose you're right."

Dee glanced down at Ai, and on her sleeping face was a soft smile. Dee touched her face, feeling the warmth of her smooth skin. "Ah, to be young and innocent again," Dee mused. "The world must really be beautiful through her eyes."

"The world can be wonderful sometimes," Alice said, his voice hardly even a whisper.

"Because after all this time, it finally gave us someone like Ai?"

Alice did not reply, and even in this lack of light Dee could see hints of a blush upon his cheeks.

Dee giggled as she played with a strand of Ai's hair. "You're right, the world isn't so bad if it allowed us to find Ai."

"You were the one to find her first."

"A living girl wanting to see Ortus out of some childish curiosity? Of course I had to see what she was like! Twelve years old and half-gravekeeper - I never imagined she would be so extraordinary."

Alice turned his face away. "Yeah, she really is extraordinary."

This time Dee was silent. Unsure of how to reply, she instead refocused her attention on Ai resting in her lap. She had always wanted to cradle someone like this, but she had never had the chance in Ostia - at first she had simply been too shy, and after the seal had been formed, her knowledge of the truth had only distanced her further from her blissfully ignorant classmates - and as a ghost she had been unable to touch anyone or anything. She could not help but smile; Ai really was soft and warm, and it was pleasant to simply hold her like this.

Finally Alice spoke again. "Dee, you really do seem happier with Ai."

Dee's face grew warm. "W-Well, you and Ai still wanted to travel with me, so of course I'm happy!"

"And I'm thankful for that," Alice said with a slight smile.

"Hey, the tent's all set up!" Julie called out. "Time to sleep now, okay?"

Alice got to his feet. "Should we wake Ai, or should I help you carry her to the tent?"

"I can carry her," Dee said, and very carefully she lifted Ai and put Ai's arm around her shoulders. If there was one thing she had learned about Ai, it was that Ai was a very heavy sleeper, so Dee didn't much fear waking her. "Goodnight, Alice."

Alice nodded. "Goodnight, Dee."

Dee carried Ai to the tent, and Scar helped lay her down inside. Ai lay between Dee and Scar, and Celica slept in a bassinet near Scar.

As they all lay in the dark, Dee watched Ai sleep soundly beside her. The tent was slightly packed with the four of them (although Celica, being a baby, didn't take up much room), but to Dee, it was also warm and cozy. Before they had reached Ostia and she had still been a ghost, she had either stayed in the tent with Ai, Scar, and Celica, watching them sleep while being unable to sleep herself, or she had spent the night flying around aimlessly. When she had been alone with Alice, she had often acted as a watch, to ensure that nothing would happen to him, and she had always worried about him when he had traveled alone.

Dee slid a little closer to Ai. "Thank you, Ai, for saving Alice and me," she whispered, holding Ai's hand between hers.

As her eyes slowly fell closed, sleep came over her. It was a pleasant feeling, and even more pleasant was the knowledge that when she awoke, Ai and Alice would still be with her.


	4. Julie Sakuma Dmitriyevich

**4\. Julie Sakuma Dmitriyevich**

Julie had never been a religious man. Yet, since the day his daughter had been buried, he had found himself drawn more and more to churches.

This particular church was small yet stable, although like any church in this era, it appeared to have been abandoned years ago. Few people prayed to God any longer; after all, why should they if God had abandoned them and they could create their own miracles simply by wishing with all their hearts?

Not that it was necessarily a bad thing for wishes to come true, Julie knew. Scar was happier being human and able to love Celica, and Ai and Dee had been overjoyed to see that Alice still lived. However, he also knew that it was not so easy to wish someone back to life. In a world without true death, what really counted as living or dying?

He let out a heavy sigh as he leaned his head back. He sat at the front of the church and gazed upon the stained glass window. It was cracked and the colors had long since faded away, and he could just barely make out the outline of an angel or a saint.

Even if he had never been a religious man, he still hoped that Heaven truly existed.

He had been young when his daughter had been born, too young to really be a father. But when the world had been denied new life, he had been thankful for that chance at a family. He had lived a simple life with his wife and daughter, and when his wife had become a deceased, they had finally told their daughter about the true nature of the world.

He had been willing to die so that he could live happily with his wife in Ortus, but their daughter had only been eight, too young to participate in the Admission of the Living Ceremony, and he had not wanted her to think herself forced to give up her life for them when she came of age.

When she had died of the same illness that had claimed her mother's life, Julie had said they could live in Ortus together, but she had simply replied that she did not want her father to give up his life for her.

Thus he had been left all alone in the world.

He clasped his hands together and bowed his head. None of his wishes had ever come true, but he still wished for the strength to protect his family, and this time he would not fail.

"Huh, I didn't think you were the praying type."

Julie opened his eyes, seeing Dee sitting beside him. "Depends on what you mean by praying," he said.

Dee grinned. "Sure looked like you were praying."

Julie looked Dee over; even though she wasn't a ghost anymore, she still managed to sneak up on him often. Had his instincts really dulled that much? "It's a church," he remarked.

"People haven't gone to church much since they started believing God left them."

"Do you believe in God?"

"I don't know." Dee turned her face away. "What about you?"

Julie shrugged his shoulders. "Who can say if He really existed or not? There was no big declaration on that day. Did He really leave, giving humanity the ability to make their wishes come true, or did human beings just break reality on their own?"

"You're right, there was no declaration." Dee let out a faint laugh. "I didn't even realize anything had happened until I heard news of the Half-Dead Fever."

Julie stared at Dee out of the corner of his eye. That timeloop in Ostia had meant that Dee and Alice were still the same age as his daughter, so it was easy to forget that they had been born before the world had changed. If they had aged normally, they would only be a little younger than he was. Because of a wish distorting reality, they had not been allowed to grow or mature, and they were physically and mentally still adolescents.

And if the seal had not been broken, if they had all been caught in another reset, Ai and Celica would not have been able to age either. Julie had not imagined that a single wish would distort reality so much.

But that was the world they lived in now, after all.

"It's almost ironic, huh?" He chuckled darkly. "Now that God has supposedly abandoned us, miracles are far more likely to occur."

"Now anyone can turn water into wine," Dee muttered. "But you still can't bring someone back from the dead."

"Ai did."

Dee looked up at Julie, and her smile was dark and sorrowful. "She wished to stop Alice from disappearing, and she could only do that because we had wished to reset time." She sighed. "Maybe if we had all wished for it together, we could've brought Alice back to life, but if we could wish for life, wouldn't it be more common?"

Julie bit his lip. "I suppose that wish has already been granted, but there's a difference between not dying and being alive."

"And you have to be fortunate enough to die cleanly," Dee whispered.

"But your body and mind will still rot, and outside Ortus there aren't many communities that'll support the deceased. If that's supposed to be immortality, it's not much."

Dee let out a hollow laugh. "People wished for immortality, but gravekeepers still came into being. Maybe that was God's way of trying to fix his mistake without taking away the wishes He had already granted."

"'Heaven is too full, and this world is reaching its limits,'" Julie mused, and he wondered who had first come up with that story. "When I was young, I always heard people worrying about overpopulation. It's almost too convenient - the day people stop dying is also when they stopped being able to conceive. In the nine months following that day, the only new life came from women who were already pregnant."

He paused, remembering how his wife - then only girlfriend - had been treated after it had become clear she had been pregnant, with everyone ignoring how she and he had been barely out of high school. Yet they had chosen to keep their child instead of letting another family take her. Once it had become clear no new life would be born, childless couples, both reasonable and desperate, had raced to adopt the remaining orphan and foster children. In the year that had followed that day, pregnant women and parentless children had been treated as nothing more than cattle, but humanity soon began to adjust to this new era, just as it always did.

"Maybe it was some kind of failsafe," Dee said, her voice jolting Julie out of his thoughts. "But with gravekeepers granting rest to the deceased, the world is still dying."

"No one worries about overpopulation anymore. Now people just think the world will end quietly." Julie let out a heavy sigh. "I wonder if I'll live long enough to see the end."

"Not even Ortus can last forever." A faint, sad smile came upon Dee's lips. "We'll all die someday, and then we'll all turn to dust, and once all the deceased have been buried, there won't be a need for gravekeepers anymore. The world will finally be empty."

"That's a rather grim view to take."

"It's not so bad." Dee giggled, and it almost seemed sincere. "When I was traveling with Alice, I was able to see how the world was thriving, even while dying." Her smile softened. "I also kept telling myself that when this world ended, Ostia would last forever, and I could always be with him."

"The sealed city was peaceful, and it was nice having a normal, domestic life again." Julie hesitated, not wanting to insult Dee. "But not being able to change isn't living at all. What I want most is to see Ai and Celica grow and mature and for them to be happy."

"They're the youngest in the world." Dee leaned her head back, her eyes locked on the stained glass window. "They might even be the last ones standing at the end of the world."

Julie did not reply immediately. Once he had often thought of death and the end of the world, but since meeting Ai, Scar, and Celica he had begun to see how much life this world had left. Whether or not Ai could save this world - did the world really need saving, and how did one define "saving the world"? - he would follow her wherever her journey took her.

And right now Ai's destination was the sea, to see a part of the world she had never seen before.

Dee shifted uncomfortably. "Hey, can I ask you something personal?"

Julie clenched his fingers. "You can, but I might not answer."

"If you died, would you want to be buried right away or live as a deceased?"

"Ah." Julie turned his face away, uncertain of how to answer. He had not thought about this question in a long time, even though it had once always been on his mind. "I don't know. I wouldn't want to leave Ai, Scar, and Celica, but we couldn't go to Ortus and I would fear hurting them once my mind started rotting." He remembered clearly his wife's strange behavior after she had died, and how their daughter had sometimes been afraid of her. "I think… I think I would at least want to say goodbye and tell them how much I loved them, and then I would allow a gravekeeper to bury me."

"Would… would you want Ai or Scar to bury you?"

"It'd be cruel to ask them." Julie chewed his bottom lip, and his eyes hurt. "But I wouldn't stop them if they wanted to."

Dee was silent a moment. "I'm sorry for asking something so cruel."

"It wasn't cruel," Julie said quickly and more harshly than he had intended. In a quieter voice, he added, "That's just how the world is now. When we die, we have to decide if we want to be buried by a gravekeeper or not."

"Mm." Dee now seemed to avoid Julie's gaze. "I wonder where souls go after they've been buried by gravekeepers. Heaven is supposedly too crowded…"

"But there was no declaration like that," Julie replied, forcing his voice to stay steady. "I don't know if God ever existed, but I at least want to believe in Heaven."

"Only gravekeepers probably know for certain." That slight smile returned to Dee's lips. "I asked once, and Scar said souls go somewhere far away, and Ai said she just knew souls were free of their physical bodies, but she didn't seem as certain as Scar."

"Ai is young, and… different from other gravekeepers."

"Scar's different too now, isn't she? Ai and Alice told me she wished to become human in Story Circle." Dee laughed, a quiet, hollow laugh. "I didn't expect such a creepy place to grant that kind of a miracle."

"Story Circle was created from a powerful wish." Julie closed his eyes, recalling the illusions of his wife and daughter that had led him to Scar. "So of course it can make real what your heart desires most, as long as you don't lose yourself."

Dee smirked, a light, playful smirk. "Coming from you, that almost sounded poetic."

Julie's face grew warm. "I-I was just telling you what happened!"

Dee stood up and turned her back to Julie. "When Ai was at Goran Academy, it was clear how much she missed you and Scar. So she worked hard to get out with all the other students, and she wasn't going to leave anyone behind. She was so happy to be free, but then she realized Scar was missing." She glanced over her shoulder at Julie. "Both you and her wanted a family again, right?"

"I want her and Scar to be happy," was all Julie could say, and his heart pounded against his chest.

"I think they are happy." Dee flashed that familiar whimsical smile of hers. "You know, it really is a lot of fun to travel with all of you. The world Ai sees is actually quite nice."

Julie could not help but smile. "She's young and naïve, so the world is still new to her."

Dee's expression grew solemn. "Do you think this world is beautiful?"

"I can't really say." Julie paused and he thought of Scar, and his face became warm again. "But when I'm with all of you, it's not so bad."

"Oh, you're blushing!" Dee teased, leaning in closer to Julie. "Are you thinking of Scar?"

To that Julie had no reply, and his blush only deepened.

"I once tried to destroy the world out of love." Dee's voice became quiet. "I thought I'd be protecting the one I loved. But for you, love makes the world more beautiful, doesn't it?"

Julie remained silent, wanting to choose his words carefully. He knew better than anyone that regrets weren't so easily forgotten. "Dee, nobody blames you, and everything turned out fine."

"Yes, everything did turn out fine." Dee's voice was barely more than a whisper. "Ai has a knack for that, doesn't she?"

"What are you getting at?"

Dee took a step back and smiled. "Maybe she really can save the world."

Julie also got to his feet. "You have a lot of faith in her."

"Of course. She saved Alice and the rest of us, after all."

Julie said nothing, and silence fell over the two of them. He glanced around the church, and nothing seemed out of the ordinary. It really did appear to be in good condition. Finally he asked, "What do you think? Want to spend the night here?"

Dee smiled. "Sure, that doesn't sound so bad. Ai might get impatient, though, since the sea's so close you can smell it."

"Well, I'm the one who has to drive and I need to sleep." Yet Julie still smiled. "Let's head back to the others."

However, as Julie walked toward the entrance, Dee suddenly grabbed his sleeve. "Um, what we talked about…" she said, her eyes clouded. "Could we keep it between us? I don't want to worry Ai or Alice."

"All right, I promise," Julie said with a faint smile.

Dee smiled and nodded, and she and Julie left the church. Outside the others waited near the van, with Ai and Alice preparing a meal over a fire while Scar cradled Celica in her sling. Dee rushed to join Ai and Alice and hugged Ai from behind, startling her, and Scar approached Julie.

"You were gone for quite some time," Scar said, her soft smile as beautiful as ever. "Ai was worried you and Dee had gotten lost."

Julie touched Scar's shoulders and pulled her and Celica closer to him. "I just felt the need to pray, that's all," he whispered, his lips brushing against Scar's hair.

Even if this world was dying, even if his heart was still filled with regrets, the world seemed much kinder now that he had a family once again.


	5. Ai Astin

**5\. Ai Astin**

Ai had never thought the world was ugly. She knew it could be cruel and greedy, and it had taken away her mother. She also knew that people still suffered and that the world itself was dying. But this same world had reunited her with her father, had given him the peace he had longed for, and had given her beloved companions who followed her on her journey.

Did the world itself need saving? She wasn't sure anymore. However, she still longed to meet new people and help them, and there was so much of the world she had yet to see.

"It's so big and pretty!" Ai exclaimed as she rushed toward the edge of the water, which stretched beyond the horizon, and she could not see the other side. "This is really the sea?"

"Yep!" Dee nodded as she came up next to Ai. "On the other side is a whole different continent!"

"Really? Just across this water…?"

"In the past a lot of trade and travel used to be done on this sea," Alice explained, and he stood next to Dee. "A little still happens today, though not as much."

A faint laugh slipped from Dee's lips. "The world has gotten smaller, after all."

"Wow…" Ai breathed, her eyes locked on the shining sea before her. "I wonder if there are gravekeepers on the other side…"

"Gravekeepers exist wherever there are deceased who want to be buried," Alice said.

Dee stretched her arms. "The sea is definitely beautiful, but we've been driving for so long and we should eat now!" She turned to Ai. "It's my turn to cook today, and we can play in the water once I'm all done."

"I'll help," Alice replied, and he was about to follow Dee, but then he glanced at Ai. "Aren't you coming too?"

Ai jolted and her heart felt as if it was going to burst out of her chest. "Uh, I'll join you in a little bit!"

Alice patted Ai's shoulder. "All right, but be careful. Don't wade in too deep. This isn't like the lake we visited a few days ago."

Ai nodded. "I know. Thanks, Alice."

Alice smiled, and he and Dee left Ai alone with the water.

Turning her gaze toward the sea, Ai carefully removed her shoes and took a small step into the water. It barely reached her ankles, and it wasn't as cold as she had expected to be. It was faintly warm against her skin, and the dirt beneath her feet was soft and moist.

She scanned the sea as her heart raced. The sea was so vast, and she saw nothing but water. No land, no boats, only water. She found herself wondering how far this sea went, and if she would ever have a chance to cross it.

Another continent lay across the sea. That meant more people and gravekeepers - what were they like? She knew little of other places and cultures, and the only history she knew of she had learned mostly from books she had found in Ostia, and thus she knew little of anything else beyond this small region.

When she had been young, her whole world had been that little village in the valley. She had known of nothing beyond its borders. She hadn't needed to. But now she knew the world was much larger than she had ever imagined, and if she wanted to save it, she realized she had to learn much more.

She smiled; she wondered how far she had traveled since leaving her village. She had traveled to Ortus and helped Ulla and Kiriko, to Goran Academy and helped Tanya and the other students of Class Q, to Ostia and helped Alice and Dee and the rest of Class 3-4. Sometimes it felt as if it hadn't been that long since she had started this journey, and already she had made so many wonderful friends.

And those same wonderful friends had brought her to this sea to show her its beauty.

She bent over to touch the water. It was sparkling, but she brought her wet hand to her lips, the taste was not what she had expected. "Ah, it's salty!"

"That's because it's saltwater."

Ai turned her head and saw Julie approaching her. "Saltwater?"

"There's two kinds of water - saltwater and freshwater, which is the kind we drink," Julie explained. "So don't try to drink the saltwater, Ai."

Ai blushed. "I knew that!"

Julie only chuckled. "This is your first time seeing the sea, isn't it? What do you think?"

"It's big. I can't even see the other side. It's another continent, right? That's what Alice and Dee told me."

"Yeah, that's right. And to the east is another continent, and there's also one across the ocean to the west."

"Ocean, huh?" Ai smiled. "That'll be even bigger than this! I can't even imagine!"

"But it'll pretty much look the same as this. And ocean water is salty too."

"Mm-!" Ai pouted. "I've never lived close to water, you know."

"I know, and I didn't mean to insult you." Julie smiled faintly. "To tell you the truth, I've never seen the ocean either."

"Huh? You haven't? But why not?"

Julie shrugged his shoulders. "I just never thought to while I was traveling with my wife and daughter, and…"

Ai glanced up at Julie, and his smile had vanished. "Julie, what's wrong?"

"Ah, it's nothing." Julie shook his head. "I just didn't travel as much after my wife was buried, that's all."

"Oh." Ai turned her face away, unsure of what else to say. Julie still didn't talk about his family much, but he rarely outright refused to answer any of her questions either.

"Ai." Julie's voice was gentle. "Would you like to see the ocean?"

"But didn't you say it wouldn't look any different from the sea?"

"It probably won't, but if it's what you want, I wouldn't mind taking you there."

"That would be great!" Ai giggled and spun around to face Julie, her bare feet splashing against the water. "Julie, is there some place you'd like to visit?"

Julie smiled again. "Wherever you want to go is fine."

Ai frowned. "That's not an answer! Isn't there some place you want to see in this great big world?"

"Nothing comes to mind."

Ai crossed her arms over her chest. "Are adults really so complacent?" she muttered, and then an idea came to her. "Oh, I know! How about that hot spring near Ostia? We could stop there again. You really enjoyed it, didn't you? And now Dee'll be able to enjoy it too!"

Julie's cheeks were red as he turned his face away. "T-That doesn't sound like a bad idea," he stammered.

Ai laughed. "Are you trying to act cool? If there's somewhere you want to visit, just say so!"

Julie sighed. "I'll think about it, and if I come up with something I'll tell you."

"Then it's a promise!" Ai beamed, and she took a few more steps into the water.

"Ai, be careful," Julie said.

Ai inhaled a deep breath, and the air tasted different somehow. Was it because of the sea? "How long do you think it'll take to reach the ocean?" she asked.

"At least a week, maybe two weeks. I've never been that far west, so I don't know what the roads will be like."

"Huh." Ever since Ai had begun this journey, she had seen few other cars. The van had been the first she had seen, and she was always surprised when they passed another car on the road, and most days it was only them on the road. Most of the roads they traveled were old and worn, and some were no longer suitable for driving. "But driving will still be a lot faster than walking, right?"

"I'll get us there," Julie replied, and there was a hint of pride in his voice. "There should be enough roads in decent condition, and I know there are a good number of towns in that direction."

"That means there'll be a lot to see before we reach the ocean! Sounds like fun!"

Julie's expression grew serious. "But we'll have to be careful, Ai."

"I know," Ai said softly. She realized that Julie was often nervous about staying in towns and villages, and not without good reason. He worried about her and Celica, as a thirteen-year-old girl and a baby stood out in this childless world. Ai could sometimes be passed off as a particularly short (much to her annoyance) fifteen-year-old, but there was no hiding the fact Celica was only a baby.

"Please don't worry," Julie added. "I'll protect you and Celica, I promise."

"Thanks, Julie." Ai looked up and smiled at him. "The people in Ostia didn't seem surprised by Celica, though. I don't think you need to worry so much."

"That city was different, I think," Julie said, his voice quiet.

"It was nice! You want to return there once it gets cold, right?"

Julie nodded. "It's not safe to travel in winter, and it'd be better for Celica's growth if we stay in one place for a few months every once in a while."

"Scar said the same thing to me." Ai laughed again. "You and her were really happy in Ostia, weren't you?"

A deep crimson blush came upon Julie's cheeks, but otherwise he said nothing.

"It was fun, though," Ai went on. "I even got to enjoy school, just like you said I should!"

"Yes, I suppose you did," was all Julie said in response, and his blue eyes were strangely clouded.

Ai took a step closer to Julie and touched his arm. "Julie?"

Julie inhaled a deep breath. "Traveling like this, trying to save the world - Ai, are you happy?"

Ai lowered her gaze. "What does it mean to save the world? I still don't understand. But it really is fun traveling with you and the others! I've seen things I never could've imagined and I've met so many wonderful people. So I want to keep traveling and helping as many people as I can! That's my dream!"

Julie laid his hand on Ai's head. "Do you still think this world needs saving?"

Ai could not help but smile. "As long as there are people who need help, I want to find them and do whatever I can for them."

"Ai…" Julie was still a moment, and water splashed around them as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close to him. "I want you to be happy. Whatever you choose, I'll support you. This is your journey."

Ai put her arms around Julie's back, and she could easily hear his heartbeat. Heartbeats had become a familiar, pleasant sound to her. "Thank you, Julie. I couldn't have made it this far without you and Scar, and I'm so grateful Alice and Dee can be with us too."

Julie's arms only tightened around Ai. He still didn't hug her often, usually only when he was worried or relieved, but since finding Scar in Story Circle he had seemed to become less reserved. Sometimes he almost felt like her mother, but perhaps that was simply because their heartbeats sounded the same.

And there was a more pressing matter, Ai suddenly realized. "Um, Julie? Your legs are going to get wet."

"Eh?" Julie released Ai and looked down; he was now also ankle-deep in the water, and thus his shoes and the ends of his pants were soaked.

Ai giggled. "At least I remembered to take off my shoes first!'"

"Yeah, yeah," Julie muttered as he stepped out of the water and removed his wet shoes.

Ai got out of the water as well, and her feet felt much colder. "You can be clumsy too sometimes, huh?"

A light blush came upon Julie's face. "Don't tease me, Ai."

"Julie." Ai gently touched his hand. "Thank you."

"For what? Hugging you?" Julie blinked in surprise, and his blush deepened. "That's, uh, just what parents do."

Ai only giggled again as her smile grew wider. It really was nice to have a family to travel with, she thought.

Julie's fingers curled around Ai's. "I'm sure the food's almost done now, so let's eat."

Ai nodded, and she followed Julie back to the van.

The group sat around the fire as they ate, and the soup Dee and Alice had made was warm and delicious. Ai ate her soup in silence, and her eyes were locked on the sea. The van was quite a bit away from it, as Julie had explained they would have to worry about tides if they slept too close to the water, but Ai could still clearly see it as it stretched into the horizon.

As the sun was setting, the clear water was stained with bright shades of orange and pink, and the sun's dying rays shimmered against the surface of the water. It was almost blinding, but Ai could not turn her eyes away.

Once the sun had set completely and the tent had been set up, Ai still sat upon the ground, staring toward the sea. The wind had died, so there were few waves disturbing the calm surface of the water, and thus countless stars were clearly reflected upon the water, as was the sliver of the waning moon.

Julie came next to her. "Ai, it's late, so you should sleep now."

"I'll head to bed soon," Ai said, not once tearing her eyes away from the sea.

Julie sighed and sat beside Ai. "All right, I'll stay up with you until you're ready to sleep."

Ai only nodded in response as she drew her knees to her chest.

For a while neither of them spoke. The night air was cold, but it didn't bother Ai too much. Winter was still far away, and there were so many places she wanted to see first. Yet another part of her was looking forward to spending the winter in Ostia, enjoying restful days with Alice and Dee and the others while helping restore the city and receiving letters from Ulla and Kiriko.

Her arms tightened around her knees. Would there come a day she would tire of traveling and desire to stay in one place?

Finally Julie spoke, jolting Ai out of her thoughts. "Is the sea really that fascinating?" he asked her.

"Huh?" Ai exclaimed, her heart racing. "Well, um, it's very calming."

Julie let out a quiet chuckle. "Yeah, I guess it is."

"And it's really big too! I can hardly imagine anything bigger, but the world is vast, after all!"

"Compared to the world, human beings are small and insignificant."

Ai tore her gaze from the sea and looked up at Julie. "Do you think I'll be able to see the whole world?"

"You can try." Julie laid his heavy hand on Ai's head, gently ruffling her hair. "Even if you can't, most of the joy of trying comes from traveling."

"And you'll still be with me?"

"Of course." Julie smiled softly. "Wherever you want to go."

"And we'll be with you too!" came Dee's voice unexpectedly as she hugged Ai from behind.

Ai squeaked, and she noticed that Alice and Scar, also carrying Celica, approached her and Julie as well.

Scar smiled, that same calm smile she usually wore. "It is not like you to worry so much," she said.

Alice let out a faint laugh. "You were the one who invited us on this journey."

Ai slowly got back to her feet as Dee still held her hand, and she smiled. "Thank you, everyone!" she exclaimed.

Julie stood up and touched Ai's shoulder. "Save some of that energy for tomorrow," he said. "You need to sleep first."

"Okay!" Ai still smiled, and together the group headed toward the van and the tent.

She knew little about the world, but it was the world she loved and wanted to save, and the world really was so much more beautiful when she had those she loved by her side.


End file.
